In order for the fish dish to taste strong and bold, Ms. Trinh has to go through many steps from choosing a fish, seasoning, and storing it properly. In times of cold rain, many people have to line up to buy fish from her house.
Braised carp fish dish attracts customers of Mrs. Trinh’s store.PHOTO: DUONG LAN
The dish “Braised fish in the old town” is bold, cold rain must be lined up to buy
Along with the streets of Gia Ngu, Cau Go lane, Trung Yen lane (Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi), a few hundred meters long, formerly Hang Be market, selling much delicious food, ready-made items such as boiled chicken, shrimp paste. ,… According to people here, the Hang Be market has been dissolved since 2010, so customers with familiar customers still maintain to sell at home or rent shops to sell.
This place is famous for its fish stock which is often chosen by many diners, especially on cold rainy days. The stocked fish shops located in the Hang Be – Cau Go market are open from early morning to late at night. On cold rainy days, the most crowded fish stock is 11 noon and 17 pm, sometimes customers have to queue for their turn.
The restaurant is simple, not fussy, just set a table with many dishes available such as fish stock, fried spring rolls, shrimp with meat,…. The dish that many people asked to buy is fish with bold flavor, eye-catching color and often called by many people with a different name as “old town warehouse fish”.
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Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Trinh (58 years old, shop owner on Cau Go street) has been selling fish in a warehouse for more than 7 years. Although she is busy with her daily work, she still takes advantage of the fact that she leads to the back of the house to see firsthand the fish storage for those who want to learn. Although braised fish is the family brand, when sharing about this dish, Ms. Trinh modestly: “Before I like to eat this dish, I have time and have the conditions to do a lot for everyone, so gradually sell here too. Now many of them live in the apartment, they do not have time to buy, they will taste delicious for many hours of carp “.
 Many diners choose fish stocked for its richness and flavor |
 Braised fish is sold for 250,000 VND / kg |
Braised fish dish rich in spices
Sharing with Thanh Nien, Ms. Trinh said that in order for the fish to be bold and beautiful in color, it would take many hours. When asked how many fish her family sells each day, Ms. Trinh just laughed and said it was a secret. However, looking at the dozens of fish pots available and the number of customers asking to buy directly can guess how crowded her stock of fish is.“The fish stocked continuously for 5-6 hours the day before, and the next 2 -3 hours, it will taste good. Braised carp takes many hours, when taking the goods, it must have its own standard, fresh, big, otherwise I will return it. I just choose big fish, it must be from 5kg – 8kg to meet the standard “, Ms. Trinh shared.
 Large braised fish pots are available for sale by Ms. Trinh to customers |
 In order for the fish to taste strong, it must be stored for many hours |
 Fish is stored in a large pot but the meat is still firm, perfect in cold rain |
 Regular customers keep coming to Ms. Trinh’s store to choose stewed carp |
Regular customers come
Unlike many other craft villages, when Tet is red, Mrs. Trinh’s fish shop sells all year round. The cold rainy season is a popular time when the fish stock with her white rice is always the perfect combination.“This fish stock is the most important thing in the warehouse to pay attention to the right time and taste the seasonings to correct. During the time of storage, the fire must be suitable when it is necessary to boil, need medium heat, open the lid, … so it is necessary to pay more attention “, Ms. Trinh said.Mrs. Trinh’s warehouse fish is sold by weight at the price of 250,000 VND / kg, the price is not cheap, but still many people choose because of its quality, firm and bold fish dish.When asked about the secret of delicious fish stock that captivated diners, Ms. Trinh kept her voice secret, claiming that there was no special secret.
The owner of the shop also said that fish stock is easy to make, anyone can do with extremely simple ingredients.Dang Thanh Ha (38 years old, living in Dong Da district) said that every time she went to the old town, she had a job, she would take advantage of her visit to Hang Be market to buy fish stock. Ms. Ha is also a regular customer of Ms. Trinh’s fish warehouse for many years.“In cold weather, this dish of fish stock is wonderful, my family has a few people, along with not having time to cook for a long time, so every time I want to eat fish stock, I always come here to buy it. There is a period of Tet when customers wait forever to buy but the fish is delicious, so we try to wait until our turn, ”Ms. Ha shared.
 In addition to braised carp, which is a special dish of the store, Ms. Trinh also sells scalloped fish, braised meat, shrimp, … |
 Braised carp is the “soul” of Mrs. Trinh’s store |
Having chosen a delicious piece of fish to prepare lunch for her family, Ms. Pham Thi Thao (32 years old, in the Hoan Kiem district) shared many meals of fish stock as the main dish with white rice. She also frequents here because the fish stock is one of the famous delicacies in Hang Be market.”My family loves to eat fish, so every few days I go to buy it. There are times when I make it myself at home, but confessing it is not as good, so I come here to buy it for convenience,” Thao said. Follow Thanh Nien Online